The Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC), in partnership with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, has been studying how states can utilize smart growth policies to better support legacy cities. GOPC identified the MassWorks Infrastructure Program as an example of how state government can fund local public projects to address infrastructure needs, while also spurring economic activity and the production of critical housing options—all of which contribute to legacy city revitalization.

The MassWorks Infrastructure Program provides grants for both capital and public infrastructure projects that advance Massachusetts’ housing production, economic development, and job creation goals. MassWorks is a competitive program, and funding allocation prioritizes projects that are likely to lead to private investment, economic growth, or recovery of a distressed area. It also emphasizes shovel-ready projects that support the production of multi-family housing in appropriately-located, walkable, mixed-use districts. Any city, town, or public entity is eligible to apply for the program; two or more municipalities may apply together, with one entity acting as the fiscal agent. (Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, 2020).

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED) administers the program in coordination with the state’s Department of Transportation, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and the Executive Office for Administration & Finance. Grants are disbursed by EOHED to reimburse applicants for costs related, directly or indirectly, to awarded projects. Since 2015, Massachusetts has given over $358 million in MassWorks grants to support 177 projects in 128 communities. As a result, the program has preserved or created more than 2 million square feet of commercial and retail space, 29,000 full and part-time jobs, and 11,000 housing units, while also leveraging more than $6.9 billion in private investment. (Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, 2019)

MassWorks has been so impactful in Massachusetts that other states (e.g., Rhode Island) have created similar initiatives, using MassWorks as a precedent. For more information about the successful program, visit the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development’s website: www.mass.gov/service-details/massworks-infrastructure-grants

Image Source: Daily Hampshire Gazette